U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,678, issued to Hesser on Dec. 20, 1994, teaches an improved structural panel in which a light-weight structural material is enclosed between two portions of sheet metal and the combinant panel is further strengthened by reinforcing steel bars which are housed and enclosed within the structural panel sheets.
When uniform structural panels are used to construct all or significant portions of a building, it is useful to formulate a standardized means of framing and positioning the various structural panels. A building will only be as strong as its weakest member. Accordingly, it is important to position and frame the structural panels with connecting U-shaped members which are capable of securing and holding the various portions of such building or structure and will also allow the flexibility of providing a variety of building accessories or options.
Aluminum is a useful material for constructing such building connecting members. Aluminum has high strength properties for structural metal applications, has a high resistance to corrosion, is easily fabricated, is reasonably light weight, can be welded or mechanically fastened together, and otherwise has properties making it acceptable as a building material.
Aluminum is also desirable for other reasons. For instance, it is easy to work with and fabricate frame members from aluminum. This is because various alloys or blends of aluminum can be produced to achieve specific strength of finishing properties. Once blended the aluminum can be formed into the desired configuration by the extrusion process. Extruding is a very efficient and reliable way to fabricate such building components and is desirable.
Standardization is also very helpful in this regard. There are a variety of building components which lend themselves to standardization. For instance, a typical house will have a pitched roof which extends from eave members along opposite sides through a pitched roof to a ridge top. Additionally, a building will normally have an interior baseboard. Most buildings, whether residential or commercial, will also have a need for conduits and passageways through which electrical, communications, and other wiring or cabling may be passed. Finally, most buildings will require a series of windows or other openings along exterior walls. Accordingly, it is helpful to be able to develop standardized apparatus which may be appropriate to each of these purposes.
Prefabricated, or other forms of standardized or hasty structures, require roofs just like any other. Roofs are complicated portions of the building, typically requiring substructures such as ridge beams, trusses, eaves, and roof framing beams to support the roof surface against dead loads, wind loads or other forces exerted upon the structure. The pitch of a roof dictates many specific requirements of construction and also may provide important building advantages, as will be discussed in greater detail later. In the construction of such structures, it would be helpful to be able to adjust the pitch of the roof as required for a given construction situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,204, issued to Jordal, on Oct. 3, 1995, teaches a window frame which can be manufactured through an extrusion process. The window frame taught by Jordal is adapted to secure a window within a "U" frame enveloping the window components. Jordal does not, however, teach a means and apparatus for securing the window frame itself to a building comprising structural panels. The point of Jordal is in the use of thermal breaks.
What is not provided in the prior art is a simple frame apparatus which is adapted to secure a window or door frame to a building comprising structural panels. It would be useful if such a frame-mounting apparatus was also adapted with means of providing other accessories, such as a storm shutter or decorative accessories for the door or window.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,157, entitled "Longitudinally Assembled Roof Structure and Method For Making Same", issued to Watanabe, et al, on Jun. 13, 1995, in fact, teaches a roof which is manufactured of longitudinally aligned roof panels. Generally, Watanabe teaches roof panels which comprise interlocking sections so that such panels assemble to one another as they rise from the eaves to the roof-ridge. It can be seen that it would be both difficult and compromise the integrity of the roof panels if it were necessary to cut or sever a given roof panel. This is because it would interrupt the structural integrity of the roof panel as well as the fact that a significant coupling member would be lost by cutting off one of the sides.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,202, issued to Furland, on Mar. 8, 1988, teaches another roof structure comprising pre-cut roof panels which are longitudinally disposed from eaves to roof-ridge. In the case of Furland, certain fasteners are taught. As with Watanabe, Furland deals with the means of interlocking the longitudinally disposed roof panels to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,532, issued to Matthews, on May 4, 1982, teaches an adjustable-eave apparatus for building curtain-wall skylights and greenhouses, and other small structures, made of glass panels retained by aluminum tubes. Matthews comprises a hinged-type apparatus which would affix to each individual vertical aluminum tube so that a glass and aluminum wall could be made of adjustable pitch by aligning a series aluminum tubes with glass panels. Accordingly, the placement of each hinge would be critical. Additionally, the hinge would receive the entire stress of the weight of the sloped glass and aluminum wall. Matthews does not teach an overhanging eave.
What is not provided in the prior art is an adjustable eave apparatus which is suitable for use in larger and more permanent-type structures, such as houses made of interlocking structural panels. An adjustable eave for such a structure should include an overhang and should be capable of bearing the weight of a series of roof panels consistent with the weight of the roof for a dwelling which could withstand the live and deadloads exerted by wind force and other elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,811, issued to Keith, on Nov. 11, 1976, teaches both a roof panel that is lightweight and structurally strong and also a means of fastening such a roof panel together with nut-and-bolt-type fasteners which are tightened between pairs of structural panels through a protruding-accessory design to hold the frames of the two panels in close proximity with each other and then closed with a cover. The apparatus taught by Keith can easily be seen to interrupt the continuity of the surface of one or the other side of each pair of structural panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,373, issued to Eschbach, et al, on Jan. 25, 1977, teaches extrusions for partitions, walls, and enclosures which provide a general "U" frame. Included within the Eschbach patent are a variety of clip-on type connections, which include enclosed covers, which are useful in clamping and assembling such structural component panels of a temporary nature, such as the shell of a vehicle. The components of Eschbach are generally capable of manufacture with the extrusion process, but generally do not teach a means and apparatus of securely anchoring a more permanent type building, such as a house, to the foundation nor accommodating it with means of delivering conduit for electricity, communications lines, or other utilities nor for providing for the assembly of roof panels with an adjustable pitch feature, nor for the attachment of windows or doors to a structural panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,555, issued to Henges, on Apr. 8, 1980, teaches another means of linking structural panels which are of a solid-core type. Such includes interlocking frame members. In particular, Henges teaches a corner structure and a means and apparatus of pivoting or providing angled relationships between such structural panels.
The apparatus taught by Henges does not provide for any decorative aspect, nor for the area near the foundation of a wall through which conduit for electrical and communications lines may be passed, nor for providing for the assembly of roof panels with an adjustable pitch feature, nor for the attachment of window or doors to a structural panel.
What is not provided in the prior art is an apparatus for serving as the baseboard for an interior wall for a foundational cover for an exterior wall for a permanent building 5 manufactured of interlocking structural panels. It would also be helpful to have such a baseboard or foundational cover which can be removed or clipped into place in order to install, remove, or service electrical or communications lines and to conceal and protect such lines from sight or from the elements.
What is not provided in the prior art is an adjustable roof-ridge connector which is uniquely adapted to receive roof structural panels. What is not provided in the prior art is an adjustable eave connector which is uniquely adapted to secure a structural roof panel to an exterior vertical wall panel. It is desirable to utilize a connection member that can be adjusted to accommodate the various pitches specified for different building types or to achieve a desired architectural look. It would also be useful to find such an apparatus which could be manufactured through an extrusion process.